Fathom Lite is the original open-source version of Fathom Analytics, designed as a lightweight, self-hosted alternative to Google Analytics. Built with Go and Preact, it provides essential website analytics without tracking users or storing personal data. This version is no longer under active feature development but remains maintained for bug fixes and stability. It’s ideal for developers, privacy advocates, and small teams who want full control over their analytics data without relying on third-party services. Fathom Lite tracks page views, referrers, and locations while respecting user privacy by default — no cookies, no profiling, and no data sharing.
Unlike its paid successor Fathom Analytics, Lite offers a minimal but functional dashboard for monitoring site traffic. It’s suited for users who are comfortable managing their own server infrastructure, including manual updates, backups, and configuration. While it lacks advanced features like UTM tracking or email reports, its simplicity makes it a reliable, low-overhead option for those prioritizing privacy and data ownership.
What You Get
- Privacy-first tracking - Fathom Lite collects no personal data, uses no cookies, and complies with privacy regulations by default — ideal for GDPR and CCPA compliance.
- Self-hosted dashboard - Run the analytics server on your own infrastructure with full control over data storage and access.
- Simple installation - Install via Docker or direct binary with minimal dependencies; includes built-in user management and web server.
- Real-time metrics - View page views, referrers, locations, and browser info in a clean dashboard accessible via web interface.
- CSP-compatible tracking script - The embed snippet works with Content Security Policies by requiring only script-src and img-src directives to your Fathom instance.
Common Use Cases
- Building a privacy-compliant blog or portfolio site - Add lightweight analytics without third-party scripts, ensuring compliance with EU privacy laws and avoiding tracking.
- Developing a data-sensitive SaaS product - Monitor traffic to landing pages without exposing user behavior to external vendors.
- Problem → Solution flow: Avoiding Google Analytics tracking → Switch to Fathom Lite - Users concerned about data collection by big tech replace GA with a self-hosted solution that provides basic traffic insights without compromising privacy.
- Team of developers managing internal tools - Dev teams use Fathom Lite to track usage of admin dashboards or documentation sites without relying on cloud analytics services.
Under The Hood
Fathom is a privacy-focused, self-hosted web analytics tool designed to provide transparent and lightweight tracking without compromising user data. It combines a Go-powered backend with a JavaScript-based frontend, emphasizing clean architecture and developer-friendly deployment.
Architecture
This project adopts a monolithic structure with clear separation between backend and frontend components. The backend handles CLI commands and core services, while the frontend is organized into reusable UI components.
- Modular backend structure supports extensibility through CLI-driven operations
- Frontend follows a component-based architecture for maintainable UI rendering
- HTTP request handling and business logic are well-separated in the backend
- Layered approach enables clear division between data processing and presentation
Tech Stack
Built using a modern web stack with Go for the server and JavaScript for frontend interactivity.
- Go serves as the primary backend language, offering performance and concurrency support
- JavaScript ecosystem includes Preact for UI rendering and D3.js for data visualization
- Gulp, Babel, and Browserify form the build pipeline for asset compilation and optimization
- GitHub Actions and Go’s testing framework support CI/CD and automated validation
Code Quality
Code quality varies across modules, with some consistency in patterns and practices.
- Error handling is implemented through try/catch blocks but lacks comprehensive coverage
- Testing efforts are present in the backend, though frontend testing remains limited
- Code style and naming conventions show moderate adherence with some technical debt
- Separation of concerns is evident in backend and frontend modules, though not fully enforced
What Makes It Unique
Fathom distinguishes itself through its privacy-first approach and clean frontend design.
- Built with strict privacy-by-design principles, avoiding any user tracking or data collection
- Component-based frontend architecture enables easy customization and extension by developers
- Lightweight Go backend ensures high performance with minimal resource consumption
- Strong developer experience with Docker support, clear documentation, and simple deployment workflows